Submitted

Mon, Jul 25th 2016 01:50 pm

Niagara University's clinical
mental health counseling program has received accreditation from the Council
for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

Accreditation by CACREP, which is
a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation, provides confirmation that the content and quality of an
educational program has been evaluated and meets the highest standards set by
the counseling profession. Only 231 private institutions across the U.S. have
earned the accreditation.

Niagara University offers a
master's program in clinical mental health counseling that is designed for
individuals seeking employment in an agency counseling setting. The 60-credit-hour
program, with a 1,000-hour field placement requirement, qualifies graduates for
New York state licensure as a licensed mental health counselor - and license
eligibility in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

In 2014, NU began offering a
dual-degree program that allows individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in
psychology to take graduate courses in clinical mental health counseling during
their senior year, thereby accelerating their progress through the master's
program. Graduates of the 4+2 program possess a B.A. in psychology and an M.S.
in clinical mental health counseling.

Securing CACREP accreditation is
an important step for Niagara as it continues to position itself at the
forefront of counselor education, according to Dr. Chandra Foote, dean of the
College of Education, which houses the master's program.

"This accreditation is evidence of
our ongoing commitment to the highest quality of academic programs and
alignment of student preparation with the standards and expectations of the
clinical mental health counseling profession," Foote said. "It's also a
clear indicator of the ability of our faculty, staff and academic leadership to
serve the needs of our students by delivering market-responsive skills that
position graduates to achieve their career goals while serving those in need."

Dr. Shannon Hodges, faculty
coordinator of the program, reported that, since 1994, the employment rate of
graduates of Niagara's clinical mental health counseling program is well above
90 percent - and 100 percent of 2015 graduates have secured full-time positions
within the field. The employment rate is expected to remain very high in light
of the accreditation, given that CACREP-approved degrees are increasingly
sought after in the U.S.

"The CACREP stamp reaffirms the
outstanding reputation of our program and further points to Niagara University
as an institution that provides the highest quality of education and degree
portability for graduates," noted Dr. Timothy Ireland, NU's interim provost.

Per the CACREP website, its
accreditation provides students who are researching an educational institution
with the following:

•Recognition the program has been
evaluated and meets or exceeds national standards.

•Knowledge that graduates have met
the majority of prerequisites for credentialing and are ready for professional
practice.

•Understanding the focus of the
program will be on the preparation of those who educate professional
counselors.

Niagara's College of Education
offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. It holds National Council
for the Accreditation of Teacher Education accreditation in the U.S.;
Ministerial Consent through the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
in the Province of Ontario; and accreditation through the Ontario College of
Teachers.